


I'm Still Alive

by StarryNightSkyInABottle



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dimension Travel, F/M, I COULDN'T HELP IT, I feel bad bruh, I'm so sorry, Recommended song:Hotel Andrea by Blackbear, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-28 17:50:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6339331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryNightSkyInABottle/pseuds/StarryNightSkyInABottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He doesn't want to be anymore.<br/>In another world, he isn't.</p><p>In another world, Pyrrha...</p><p>{Alt. Title: I'm Still On Fire for You}</p><p>Canon Divergence ofc, sorry if it doesn't make sense ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Still Alive

**_The arrow flies_ **

**_Screams echo in his ears and he can only watch her burn._ **

       Her name is on his tongue, but it does not pass his lips. He fears what will happen if he says it, the wound is still raw,  _their_ wounds are still raw. Team JNPR will never be the same, of course not. He wonders if they are still allowed to call themselves JNPR when  _she_ is gone. If not, what would their team name be? JNR, Junior? He sighs into the night, mind trying to comprehend that nothing will be the same ever again.  _One of them is gone, forever, how could you think this situation would ever return to normal? Your other half is_ _gone,_ because  _you were too_ weak, _too_  pathetic.  _You don't deserve to be the leader, how could Ozpin allow someone like_ you  _to be in charge of-_

 _"Jaune?"_ "Jaune?" He thinks he hears her, but it is only Nora. Sweet, pure, "I'll Break His Legs" Nora. There are bags under her eyes and she is quiet, her voice is nothing but a whisper. Ever since...Nora has become withdrawn, she does not shout, declare herself as queen, or ask Ren for pancakes. She is a shell of her former self, only truly showing up during battle to "break everything in her way". She deludes herself, often talking to  _Pyrrha's_ bed after training sessions and hugging her crown before going to bed. Trying to act as if Pyrrha is just gone for vacation or another tournament and that she'll come back. Jaune desperately wants to join in her delusions, to hide himself from the world as she does, only emerging for battle ~~~~~~for revenge, for closure~~. He knows he cannot, he is the team leader and he  _has_ to be strong. He does not have time to grieve over ashes scattering in the wind, of shields falling and spears breaking. Everything is breaking and there is no time, there was never any time. He gave Nora a small smile, which felt more like a grimace, and does his best not to cry. (He **must** be strong.) Nora's hand brushes against his cheek, wiping away the swiftly falling tears. He did his best, but he still failed. ( _Hasn't it always been like that?_ )

       She pulls him into a bone crushing hug, her face nuzzling into the crook of his neck, and they cry together in the dark, holding onto the other for dear life. Ren is not there either, no, he is not dead, but he wishes to be. They all do, because they are  _tired_. Tired of losing loved ones and tired of fighting. The door slowly opens, Jaune's hand slowly inches towards his sword, but he stops, because it is Ren. His once immaculate outfit is torn and tattered, there are tears still falling and his hair is in disarray. Another night out training ~~~~until exhaustion, one of Team CRDL must've found him. Cardin himself is behind him, steadying him until he reaches them, where they are huddled on Pyrrha's bed. Cardin has no jabs tonight, no, he understands that they need to time none of them have to grieve. Cardin only locks eyes with Jaune and nods as he walks out of the room, most likely heading out to make sure Team CRDL could stall the incoming Grimm long enough until Team JN ~~P~~ R could pick themselves back up and fight before breaking down again once the battle was over. Cardin quickly called his team on his scroll once he was around the corner, making sure they understood his orders:  ** _Team JN ~~P~~ R was not to be disturbed until daybreak. _**

       With the addition of Ren, Nora and Jaune shifted until Ren was between them. They all huddled together in that darkness, the broken moon shining above them.

****

       Eyes are puffy and red as Jaune is woken by Cardin for their shift until the last bullhead arrived for them. He told him that it was their last day at Beacon, their last day on Vale. Cardin's eyes were gentle ( _Jaune laughs internally, because Cardin was never gentle and wanted to hurt Pyrrha with the Rapier Wasps- even though it was so long ago, Jaune couldn't forget)_ and full of pity,  ** _how could he know what losing ~~the love of your life~~_ _ ~~~~someone important was like?_** Jaune thinks back on that question, wondering when he became so cynical, because he would have never thought this way before Beacon.  ~~(But you would and always have, Jaune, you're just in denial.)~~  

****

       It's an ambush that was long overdue. Team JN ~~P~~ R and CRDL worked in tandem as they slowly backed on to bullhead, but watched as Cardin got knocked down by another Ursa. The day in Forever Fall replaying in his mind and Jaune jumps in between them, making sure that Cardin and his team have another enough time to get on. Nora and Ren scream his name as they watch him get slowly surrounded by the Grimm, Team CRDL holding them back from joining their captain in reckless suicide.

       Everyone watches in horror as the Grimm begin to pounce and he barely fights them off, blood running down his limbs. Two words fall from his lips, unheard from the roars of Grimm, but seen by everyone.

 **_ I'm sorry _ ** ~~ ~~

        Nora and Ren continue to scream, because they see  _Pyrrha_ next to him, and the world is cruel. Their world is so cruel, taking their family from them  _ **again**_. Team CRDL and the officers on the Bullhead turn their heads, letting the remains of Team  ~~J~~ N ~~P~~ R throw themselves against the glass in a feeble attempt to join Jaune _(because Jaune is leaving and he is their leader and they must follow)._

****

        Jaune feels his aura surround him, healing him and building him back up with every bite and slash. He remembers fondly of the Emerald Forest, where Pyrrha gave this to him. His eyes grow misty as he thinks of his team and thinks of how Ozpin made a mistake. The pain he feels from everything is too much and he lets out a scream as he falls to his knees, blood running down his back. His head is buried in his hands as he screams and screams, tears slipping past his fingers. A Beowulf clips his head and the world is ringing, his aura is finally broken and as he sobs, a huge smile appears on his face. He is face down in mud, sword and shield barely in his grasp as the Grimm finally back down, bored of him. He barely has enough strength to turn himself around, but he does anyways and watches a crow fly by, staring at the blue, blue sky as his vision gets blurry and finally fades. His hearing goes next, but he feels the mud on his clothes and the wind (was it Grimm's breath?) ruffling his hair and calming him into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

        In another world, Pyrrha is the enemy, with her flaming spear in hand, she fights atop Beacon tower with Cinder and Jaune. She does not want the world to fear her, no, she just wants the world as her own. Continuously, Jaune is dodging the spear and metal while keeping a close eye on Cinder. She's panting heavily, trying to rekindle her flames into her bow, worrying about the man she's learned to call brother.  She watches as he barely dodges a clock gear, glowing white and the floor crumbling beneath him. Cinder's stomach is clenching, her aura is  ** _too low_** , at this rate Jaune will  _die_. As she slowly backs away to find help, they lock eyes, he nods and Cinder prays to Oum that he will hold on long enough for help to arrive. (Jaune knows he won't, he'd like to believe he would)

        Jaune doesn't know why, but whenever Pyrrha attacks, **everything feels wrong**. As if the world is tilted on its axis whenever they lock eyes and in her eyes, he sees the confusion, followed by anger, because she doesn't understand either. Both of them feel as if the world is wrong when their weapons clash. But their weapons clash anyways, because Jaune is fighting for the peace of everyone he loves and for the place he feels that he belongs and Pyrrha fights for what she believes is supposed to be her world. _The Colosseum took everything from her and **Salem** saved her and gave her the power to take back everything they took, she wants more._

Another duck, another swing of his sword. Another dodge, another throw of her spears and of gears. She smiled in victory as one clips him on his ankle. ( ~~His Achilles heel)~~ His aura breaks and Cinder can hear his screams from the stairway. She pauses to go back, but shakes her head and continues on. Her shoulders shake minutely.

       Jaune drops like a puppet cut from its strings, eyes immediately closing. He grows still and Pyrrha watches carefully, because it is not the first time he's tricked her like this. He does not move for a good thirty seconds, until his body jolts up with a gasp and he pushes himself, hands roaming, confusion radiating from his form. Pyrrha does not lower her guard nor her spear, only watching as he stands up as if they were not just battling for a good three hours trapped in a stalemate.

       Yes, Jaune is very confused. Last he remembered, he was slowly dying by the hands of Grimm and now he is on the tower where Pyrrha _died._ He scans his surroundings, only to stop on Pyrrha. She is in her battle stance, but she is dressed oddly and Jaune is only more confused. Faintly, he wonders why she isn't saying anything. He stands up and moves towards her, only to stop when one of the gears is thrust at him. He dodges and thinks that this is maybe a spar, but why would she be dressed oddly and why are her eyes so closed off? They stop their little dance for only a moment, he is panting heavily. Her name is on his tongue, but it does not pass his lips.

       The door to the stairway slams open and out come Team RWBY with someone he doesn't know. Ruby is standing tall, Yang has both her arms, Blake is ready for a battle, and Weiss looks oddly surprised. The girl with a bow rushes towards him, screaming his name. He sees Pyrrha rush at him from the corner of his eye and he feels a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looks down to see a spear covered in fire embedded in his stomach, Pyrrha holding the handle. Confusion turns to shock, but he sees the happiness gleaming in her cold eyes and that happiness makes them look warm and like the eyes he loved. He gives her a shaky smile, pulling her into a hug which just forces the spear deeper inside him. He can hear nothing but his own heartbeat as he whispers her name into her ear with such reverence and love that she's shocked. He can feel himself slowly turning to ashes, hears the girl screaming and trying to attack Pyrrha and as Pyrrha and her spear leave him, they lock eyes one last time. Her eyes are full of hate as his are full of love.

       Pyrrha curses Jaune Arc as he sits dying, aura building him back up again, curses him for shocking her enough to lower her guard. Now she has to fight off an angry Team RWBY and Cinder Fall as she waits for the bullhead to come and pick her up. She knocks the whole of Team RWBY down with a giant gear, but Cinder moves too quickly for her to catch off guard. Pyrrha watches Jaune closely while knocking arrows away with her blood covered spear, wondering why he looked so happy. All he does is wave to her cheerfully as his aura finally breaks and he begins to turn to ash for the final time, and she stops in shock once more.

        Cinder takes this opportunity and notches a flaming arrow at her, blood boiling, calling for Pyrrha's death.

_**Screams echo in his ear** _

_**The arrow flies and she can only watch him burn.** _

**Author's Note:**

> Listen  
> I wanted to write a story where:  
> *Jaune and Pyrrha switched places  
> *Pyrrha and Cinder switched places  
> *Jaune and Cinder admiring and respecting each other in this switched up world.  
> *Jaune gets hit by a flaming weapon and turns to ash, I mean, Joan of Arc died by burning and he was based off of her, so...  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> also thanks for reading. Was my first RWBY fanfic and I probably did not write anyone in character, orz. I also prob messed up Jaune's Aura. whoops


End file.
